PRUSSIA – DRESS KOLLAR AND SASH – OFFICER’S – KÜRAßIER-REGIMENT Nr 4

SKU: 15-675 XAS

$2,495.00$1,695.00

This is a consignment item. It is an officer’s Küraßier-Regiment von Driesen (Westfälisches) Nr 4 dress tunic (koller), which was worn at formal affairs and parades. The regiment was founded in 1717 and garrisoned at Münster, where it was attached to the VII. Armeekorps.
Küraßier and Jäger zu Pferde’s dress tunics were unlike those of all the other troops, even those from other Kavallerie Regiments (the Ulanen’s ulankas and the Husaren’s attilas). The difference lies in the Küraßier and Jäger zu Pferde’s collar design and the way its decorative trim is arranged. The trim (in regimental colors) is used on the koller’s front, collar and cuffs, and is referred to as borte (border). When you look at the photos that accompany this selection, you will note that the collar and its trim are rounded from the collar’s upper section to the midpoint where it flows down into the borte decorating the koller’s front. You will also notice that the koller has NO visible buttons on its front. Instead, the borte conceals a hook and eye system beneath it so that the tunic front presents a smooth appearance once everything is secured. It is an extremely elegant design.
The koller is made of fine white wool. The each tunic half’s front sports the previously-mentioned, regimentally-correct, red and silver bullion borte running from collar-to-bottom down its center edge. Furthermore, the same borte adorns each cuff, along with two silver-toned buttons on each sleeve.
The koller comes with two correct, very fine epaulettes. Each epaulette sports a silver and black bullion passant across its tongue where it attaches to the half-moon. [A passant is the small shoulder strap that runs parallel to the tunic’s shoulder seam to attach an epaulette to the uniform]. The latter may indicate that the wearer retired from the regiment as a Leutnant der Reserve. The metal fittings (moons) are silver-toned, while the epaulettes’ centers display the same unadorned white wool as the tunic. The epaulettes’ backing is red. The epaulettes are in excellent condition. Thin red piping traces a design on the koller’s reverse that descends from the shoulder seams down the back to the waistline, then onto the vent area to accent the six plain silver buttons on display. The same red piping accents each sleeve back from the shoulder seam to the cuff’s borte.
The tunic’s interior displays a rather unusual padded design covered with silk. This silk has suffered some shredding, especially in the top center. A bit more shredding is visible in the vent area. Some black numbers and letters are visible on the interior tunic sleeve and just below the shredding in the top center. [I believe these are postwar costume house marks. Many Great War tunics made their way into costume houses for the theater and burgeoning film industries in Europe and the USA. I once had a tunic that was marked for a Los Angeles, California costume house, including a six-digit telephone number! (U.S. telephone numbers did not convert to the current seven digits until after WW II)].
A silver-toned brocade dress sash (in very fine condition) is included with the koller. The tunic’s overall condition is quite pleasing. Even though white material often does not age well, this tunic has NOT suffered extensive soiling. It is an excellent representation of its kind.

Description

This is a consignment item. It is an officer’s Küraßier-Regiment von Driesen (Westfälisches) Nr 4 dress tunic (koller), which was worn at formal affairs and parades. The regiment was founded in 1717 and garrisoned at Münster, where it was attached to the VII. Armeekorps.
Küraßier and Jäger zu Pferde’s dress tunics were unlike those of all the other troops, even those from other Kavallerie Regiments (the Ulanen’s ulankas and the Husaren’s attilas). The difference lies in the Küraßier and Jäger zu Pferde’s collar design and the way its decorative trim is arranged. The trim (in regimental colors) is used on the koller’s front, collar and cuffs, and is referred to as borte (border). When you look at the photos that accompany this selection, you will note that the collar and its trim are rounded from the collar’s upper section to the midpoint where it flows down into the borte decorating the koller’s front. You will also notice that the koller has NO visible buttons on its front. Instead, the borte conceals a hook and eye system beneath it so that the tunic front presents a smooth appearance once everything is secured. It is an extremely elegant design.
The koller is made of fine white wool. The each tunic half’s front sports the previously-mentioned, regimentally-correct, red and silver bullion borte running from collar-to-bottom down its center edge. Furthermore, the same borte adorns each cuff, along with two silver-toned buttons on each sleeve.
The koller comes with two correct, very fine epaulettes. Each epaulette sports a silver and black bullion passant across its tongue where it attaches to the half-moon. [A passant is the small shoulder strap that runs parallel to the tunic’s shoulder seam to attach an epaulette to the uniform]. The latter may indicate that the wearer retired from the regiment as a Leutnant der Reserve. The metal fittings (moons) are silver-toned, while the epaulettes’ centers display the same unadorned white wool as the tunic. The epaulettes’ backing is red. The epaulettes are in excellent condition. Thin red piping traces a design on the koller’s reverse that descends from the shoulder seams down the back to the waistline, then onto the vent area to accent the six plain silver buttons on display. The same red piping accents each sleeve back from the shoulder seam to the cuff’s borte.
The tunic’s interior displays a rather unusual padded design covered with silk. This silk has suffered some shredding, especially in the top center. A bit more shredding is visible in the vent area. Some black numbers and letters are visible on the interior tunic sleeve and just below the shredding in the top center. [I believe these are postwar costume house marks. Many Great War tunics made their way into costume houses for the theater and burgeoning film industries in Europe and the USA. I once had a tunic that was marked for a Los Angeles, California costume house, including a six-digit telephone number! (U.S. telephone numbers did not convert to the current seven digits until after WW II)].
A silver-toned brocade dress sash (in very fine condition) is included with the koller. The tunic’s overall condition is quite pleasing. Even though white material often does not age well, this tunic has NOT suffered extensive soiling. It is an excellent representation of its kind.

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PREWAR REGIMENTAL COLOR FAHENTRÄGER SLEEVE PATCH – WÜRTTEMBERG

SKU: 15-564

$1,495.00

One of the most honored positions within any regiment was the assignment to carry and maintain its regimental standard. All of the European armies (including Germany) had a fascinating tradition in regimental standards. In Germany, regimental banners or standards were authorized and issued by the König, or Kaiser. It had a true history of pageantry to it. In addition to the actual standard/banner, regiments brandished flagpoles adorned with streamers proclaiming the year of the regiment’s establishment, the regiment’s collective battle honors, and brass identification rings. Depending on the regiment, the pole might even have been topped by a Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. The men fought with great pride under these flags. For a regiment to lose its flag in battle was a horrible event. It rained dishonor on ALL the men attached to the regiment, from its regimental commander down to the lowliest private. The man assigned to maintain and carry the regimental banner (Fahnenträger) was highly-regarded by his officers and NCO’s. He bore the standard, carrying it in a special case when it was not unfurled. He was expected to protect the banner with his life. The sight of the banner waving, even in battle, was a rallying point for the regiment’s men. If the color bearer fell during battle, another man immediately snatched-up the banner to show that the regiment was still in the fight. Naturally, a man so honored as to carry the regimental colors was awarded a special sleeve patch designating him as the regimental color bearer (Fahnenträger). As you can see, the number of color bearers in the German Army was very limited, as was this very special sleeve patch. The patch was intended to have been worn on the pre WW I dunkel-blau (dark-blue) tunic’s sleeve. It measures 5″ x 3 ½,” and is in the shape of a shield. It sports a pair of crossed regimental flags, beautifully done in yellow, white, and black thread. Between them is a crown from the Kingdom of Württemberg made of yellow, white, and red thread. König Wilhelm II’s yellow royal cypher appears at the patch’s bottom. It is very elegant and quite rare. [As an aside, regimental banners are greatly prized by collectors. Prices BEGIN at $20,000 for these beauties, when they come on the market. I have seen examples fetch in excess of $50,000. They rarely become available. Many of them were taken to Russia at the end of WW II, and were not released until thirty to forty years after its end]. This is an amazing piece of history and far rarer than a Prussian example.

One of the most honored positions within any regiment was the assignment to carry and maintain their regimental standard. All of the European armies, (including Germany), had a fascinating tradition in regimental standards. In Germany, regimental banners or standards were authorized and issued by the König, or Kaiser. It had a true pageantry to it. In addition to the actual standard/banner, regiments brandished flag poles adorned with streamers proclaiming the year of the regiment’s establishment, the regiment’s collective battle honors, and brass identification rings. Depending on the regiment, the pole might even have been topped by a Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. The men fought with great pride under these flags. For a regiment to lose its flag in battle was a horrible event. It rained dishonor on ALL the men attached to the regiment, from its regimental commander down to the lowliest private. The man assigned to maintain and carry the regimental banner was highly-regarded by his officers and NCO’s. He bore the standard, carrying it in a special case when it was not unfurled. He was expected to protect the banner with his life. The sight of the banner waving, even in battle, was a rallying point for the regiment’s men. If the color bearer fell during battle, another man immediately snatched-up the banner to show that the regiment was still in the fight. Naturally, a man so honored as to carry the regimental colors was awarded a special sleeve patch designating him as the regimental color bearer. As you can see, the number of color bearers in the German Army was very limited, as was this very special sleeve patch. The patch was intended to have been worn on the sleeve of the pre WW I dunkel-blau (dark-blue) tunic. It measures 5″ x 3 1/2,” and is in the shape of a shield. It sports a pair of crossed regimental flags, beautifully done in yellow, white, and black thread. Between them is a Hohenzollern Crown made of yellow, white, and red thread. At the bottom of the patch is Kaiser Wilhelm II’s royal cypher in yellow. It is very elegant and quite rare. [As an aside, regimental banners are greatly prized by collectors. Prices BEGIN at $20,000.00 for these beauties when they come on the market. I have seen examples fetch in excess of $50,000.00. They rarely become available. Many of them were taken to Russia at the end of WW II, and were not released until thirty to forty years after its end]. This is an amazing piece of history.

This is a commanding Oberst’s überrock from the Ulanen-Regiment von Katzler (Schlesisches) Nr 2.. This Regiment was founded in 1745. It was garrisoned in Gleiwitz-Piess and assigned to the VI ArmeeKorps. An überrock was the army tunic’s long, frock coat version. Like a standard prewar tunic, it is dark-blue. It has a double row (six to each side) of gilt-toned buttons. Stitched into the second buttonhole is a 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class ribbon. Another ribbon is present, which on first sight appears to be from Braunschweig. It displays, however, an unusual black and white trim on either side that I cannot identify. The collar is all red. A thin red trim line runs centrally from the collar to just below the tunic’s final button. Red trim is also visible at the cuffs. Its shoulder boards are of the slip-on variety. Each sports the regimental designation “2,” along with an Oberst’s twin gilt pips. The left breast displays two pairs of sewn-in loops. One is quite large. It appears to be for a larger decoration, or possibly even a breast star. The second pair is very close and could have held an Iron Cross 1st Class. The tunic’s reverse has a total of four gilt buttons in the vent area. The tunic’s interior is equally clean, boasting a black, traditional silk liner. It is a high-quality tunic at a very fair price.

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About Us

I'm Kenneth (Ken) J. Greenfield, currently of New Port Richey, Florida, located on the West Coast of Florida in the Tampa Bay area. I started out as a collector of Imperial German Militaria, particularly items dealing with the Imperial German Air Service in the early 1960's. After more than forty years of avid collecting, I began to sell a few items to upgrade my collection and help finance my collecting "habit." I attended militaria shows, both to buy and sell. I wanted to spend more time at home and less traveling for the national companies that I had worked for; so, starting my own business seemed like an attractive alternative. I like nothing better than talking with others about militaria, and introducing newcomers to the joys of owning a "piece of history."